what causes kidney stones

what causes kidney stones

Men are four times more likely to get kidney stones than women, and if you have previously had a kidney stone then you will have a 50 percent chance of developing another one within five years. Most people have no predisposing factors to explain why they develop kidney stones. You may have an increased risk of developing kidney stones if you:

1, have a family history of kidney stones
2, are aged between 20 and 50
3, are taking certain medicines - for example indinavir (in the treatment of HIV infection) and taking too many laxatives or taking them too often
4, have only one kidney, or an abnormally shaped kidney
5, eat a diet high in protein
6, don't drink enough fluids

Diagnosis of kidney stones

Your GP will ask you about your symptoms and examine you. He or she may also ask you about your medical history. Your GP may do further tests to confirm the diagnosis and to show the size, location and type of your kidney stone. These include:

blood tests - to identify excess amounts of certain chemicals which cause kidney stones
urine analysis - to look for signs of infection
taking an X-ray image - stones that contain calcium usually show up white on X-ray images
intravenous urogram (IVU) - injection of a special dye that shows up the whole urinary system and any stones on X-ray images; or a CT (computed tomography) scan - this uses X-rays to make a three-dimensional image of the area
ultrasound scan - this uses high frequency sound waves to produce an image of the internal organs

Treatment of kidney stones

Your treatment will depend on the type and cause of your kidney stone. Most stones can be treated without surgery. If you drink a lot of water (two and a half to three litres per day) and stay physically active, this is often enough to remove stones smaller than about 5mm from your body. Your GP may then prescribe medicines to reduce the pain.

Your GP may ask you to catch the kidney stone by passing your urine through filter paper or a tea strainer. The stone can then be analysed to find out what type it is, to help guide your treatment.

If you have a kidney stone that hasn't passed out of the body within one to two months, it's unlikely to pass without treatment.